Please, Don't Take Pity On Me
by Mr.LucyLu
Summary: It was only a vague memory for Sasuke, but Naruto remembered clearly. How could he forget the one person who had made him cry with just three words? But now Sasuke is intrigued and will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants, even with extra baggage.
1. It's you!

**Disclaimer:** Il n'est pas moi. :(

(Hopefully I wrote that right)

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><p>The street was filled with overexcited pedestrians, walking from one establishment to the next. The post lights, as well as the trees were coiled with white Christmas lights, illuminating every sidewalk as brightly as the sun would. Store bells jingled, signaling the coming in and out of the customers as they bought gifts for the respective loved ones.<p>

Christmas was right around the corner and the mirth the people felt was almost tangible. Children were laughing, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the red clad man who would deliver their gifts, adults were enjoying the stroll around the festive ambiance, cups of hot chocolate warming their cool hands.

All in all, the mood could not have been better, except for a certain brooding raven head who was contemplating many painful ways in which he could kill his brother.

Sasuke Uchiha walked along the crowded sidewalks in search of his currently missing brother. Itachi knew the depth in which his dear little brother loathed public places, but yet the sadistic jerk brought him along in search for the _perfect _leather jacket for himself.

Sasuke was seething inside not for the fact that a present would not even be bought for him, not for the fact that he was walking among the pestered population, and not even for the fact that Itachi had disappeared, but for the sole fact that he was left out in the open with no disguise for every blatant ogling eyes to recognize him. He cursed the damn lights for being so bright.

Uchiha was a brand name, a sex symbol, and the ultimate embodiment of what an actor should be. A person did not have to know him in order to recognize the Uchiha features. Pale, creamy skin, coal black hair, the infamous smirk and the velvety voice were world known.

Every few seconds he was stopped from his searching course by raving fan girls who stopped at nothing to get his autograph. With a fake smile, he complied to their insistent screeching. Every time he was finished with one group, another batch of screaming fan girls made their way toward him.

Finally having enough, he saw the one and only store he remembered having a window leading to an alley. The plan was perfect. He would buy a cap, a scarf, a pair of sunglasses and bolt out through the window.

With his pleasantly, smooth voice he excused himself from the group of girls once he was close to the entrance, promising to be back in a few. Once inside he walked "briskly," no way would his pride ever let him admit he was practically running, he was an Uchiha dammit. Quickly grabbing the concealing essentials, he threw the cashier a twenty, not bothering to wait for the change and made his way to the bathroom.

Locking the door, he quickly wrapped the scarf just below his nostrils, placed the cap with it's tongue shadowing his face and set the sunglasses over his eyes. Getting a quick look on the mirror, he approached the window and easily lifted it. Making sure no one was around, he climbed down the sill and calmly strode through the dark alley.

Halfway through, he encountered a fence separating one end of the alley from the other. _This wasn't here before, _he thought as he easily climbed over, mindful of his clothes. Once on the other side he continued to walk nonchalantly.

A rather rancid smell hit his senses as soon as he was out of the alley. This was the same town and yet this side was a complete opposite from the place he had just escaped from. Never had he seen such eroded looking buildings, such grimy looking people and such cheerfulness despise the circumstances.

The place seemed to be lit rather brightly but not in the way the other side did. Here people lit bonfires in tall trash cans while they huddled together for what appeared to stay warm. The smoke made his nose wrinkle in disgust but he did not move away, instead he stepped forward. The children seemed to be just as happy as their clean counterparts, maybe even more so as they chased each other in a game of tag.

There were black bags littering the entire area and bulks which he presumed were sleeping bodies, lay on every side of the sidewalk, though not one ever blocked his path. He stared in pure amazement, though his face showed no emotion even as it was covered up, as the inhabitants of such forsaken town continued to live on merrily.

Deciding it was probably not a good idea to continue lingering on this side of town, he opted to walk through the rest of the town in means of finding a safe escape route back to his home. He could not and would not deal with screaming imbeciles any more.

As he walked he noticed the looks the people he passed by sent him. He wasn't sure if he should be afraid of someone recognizing him or someone jumping him for money but he kept his guard up, acting as if he was just passing through.

Maybe it was the fact of how he was dressed: black jeans, black coat, black cap, black scarf and black shades apparently did not scream normality here. It wasn't his best attire, but compared to these people, he was oozing extravagance.

In more than one occasion, he caught a few men snarling as they brought their few possessions closer to their side.

"Hn," he smirked. _As if I would want to take your trash. _

To these people, he seemed dangerous, if their looks told him anything. He silently chuckled at the irony of it all. He was the one being branded as a thief in their eyes, when in all reality, they would be the most likely perpetrators of any crime if they were to go outside this garbage hole.

As he continued to trudge along, he noticed how the noise level became louder and louder as he approached a small convenient store across the street . There in the front stood a wobbly lemonade stand brightly decorated with colored Christmas lights. Arrows drawn on cardboard boxes made a V-shape formation leading up to the main event, whatever it was. His curiosity was piqued and he found himself moving closer and closer.

Children stood in a large crowd surrounding the main spectacle _ooohing _and _aaahing _and giving surprised giggles. When he stood near, he finally saw what the big commotion was about. A man dressed up in a filthy red suit accompanied by a beard that was no longer white but gray and a red hat with the tiny ball in the end, was performing magic tricks to entertain the kids.

"Abracadabra, abrakazoom, what will Santa bring in for you!" His hands were all over the place as he ranted his chant.

Sasuke scoffed at the childish magic words. _Why can't adults set things straight and tell their brats that Santa does not exist? _He had never been a believer. His parents had denounced any sort of belief he and his brother had presented to them, calling both young boys childish and ignorant, something an Uchiha should not be. He did not reproach them for it, though. That kind of childhood would have made him soft.

After the words were said, the bad replication of _Santa _extended his arm behind the young boy's ear and retracted back with a giddy _Tada!_

A small, collectable car appeared in Santa's hand and an excited squeak was emitted from the small boy's lips. The toy looked surprisingly new and Sasuke had to raise and eyebrow at the thought of how this man had acquired it. He guessed the method had been illegal by the look of the place.

Sasuke stayed for a couple of more minutes before he became bored and decided to leave. As he turned to leave he saw a magician's hat sitting on the questionable stand and noticed the things left inside and around it.

A man passed in front of him toward the stand and the raven noticed as said stranger left a small piece of bread by a plate with a piece of chicken.

Santa saw the gestured and smiled genuinely at the man. "Thank you, sir! Have a nice Christmas!"

"Sure thing, Santa." The man returned the smile and muttered softly to himself, "No. Thank you, Naruto. Thank you." Smiling, he walked away and stopped to pick up the child who had received the toy car and placed him on his shoulders as they walked away.

"Did you see, Dad? Did you see? Santa can do magic too! He's so cool!" The father chuckled, "Yes, son. I saw and he is. Aren't you glad you were a good boy this year?"

The little boy pouted, giving his dad a light swat on the head. "What are you talking about old man, I've always been a good boy!"

"Not with calling me old man you're not," he tickled his son's bare foot, receiving a burst of giggles in return.

Sasuke watched with mild amusement at the gesture from the man and turned his attention back to Santa, who he had found out was named Naruto. Somehow, he felt as if he should be remembering something, something from before he became occupied with acting, but he could just not remember.

Deciding to do his one good deed for the year, he searched in his pocket without looking and threw in some cash. He felt sorry for the kid. He glanced back and saw the red clad man walking his way. He was surprised for the moment, but years of being an Uchiha had given him the control needed for his reactions. His face was devoid any emotion as he eyed the man in front of him.

Santa watched him with wide eyes. He was there physically but his mind had seemed to drift off. With a smirk, he regarded the Santa and walked away. Hopefully he could find the exit from this place in the next five minutes.

Naruto was exhausted. He loved making the small ones happy but he needed a break, preferably a dinner break. Giving the last gift he had found in the salvage hunt on the other side of town, he held his palms up, signaling the end of Santa time.

Smiling brightly at each of the kids he promised he would be back tomorrow, explaining to them that if he didn't go and feed his reindeer now he wouldn't be able to come the next day and nobody wanted that to happen, right?

The kids _awwwed, _but happily wished him a safe trip. Laughing, he thanked the kids and shooed them away toward their awaiting parents and turned to the stand. He froze when he saw a suspicious man in black in front of the gifts parents gave him as gratitude for what he did for the kids.

"If he takes something from there I will beat his ass down," he mumbled to himself. He would not tolerate anyone stealing the small things people gave him. Never in the past couple of years that he lived in this side of the town had he ever experienced any sort of trouble. The people here were all under the same circumstances and no one found it necessary to steal from each other.

If anyone needed something all they had to do was ask and they would be graciously helped by the community. The population here wasn't as big as the other sunny side of town, less than 200 people, but each and every one of them showed more moral support than what they knew their counterparts showed.

Walking quietly toward the stand he viewed the back of the man. His eyes widened when he saw him digging inside his pocket only to produce a roll of cash from its depths and placing it inside the black hat.

As much as he respected the thoughtful gesture, he could not accept the money. It was the only thing he would never accept from anybody. He would much rather earn his own cash than have people handing him the green bucks. He couldn't help but believe people found him incompetent and incapable to live by his own means. It was as if they were taking pity on him and he absolutely loathed that.

He kept walking until the black clad man turned around. His breath caught in his throat as he took in the person before him. Despite the fact that the man had a cap on, Naruto could clearly see the dark pools watching him intently. He recognized those eyes instantly and he hated them. Memories of his childhood days on the other side of town flashed through his head.

In them a small six year old boy with hair resembling a duck's butt was smiling at him, but this smile did not please him. This boy was mocking him, laughing at his lack of money, throwing bills at his feet.

"_Buy yourself some shoes and clothes. You look pitiful." _

_Naruto had never felt the urge to cry even when others made fun of him or threw things his way, but those three words took him by surprise. He was not pitiful. So what if he had no parents like the rest of the kids, so what if he did not have everything he wanted, he could do more and had the liberty none of them would have until they became adults. _

_His eyes became watery as he looked lividly at the other boy, but his tears never appeared. 'Good' he thought, 'I won't let him see me cry.' _

"_No I'm not! And I don't need your stupid money! K-keep it. I've lived fine without it." He was proud his voice hadn't cracked completely, but he wasn't sure how long he could go before his tears streamed down his cherub cheeks. _

_Indignantly, he stuck out his pink tongue at the raven boy, picked up the money and ripped it, throwing the pieces at the other's face. _

_With that he ran. He ran until his lungs screamed in pain, begging to be put to rest. His legs trembled terribly before collapsing to his knees. Tears were now cascading down his rosy cheeks, fresh ones streaming down even after wiping his eyes forcefully. _

_He had remained in the same spot for over an hour, only small hiccups were heard. He stood, with much reluctance and finally made his way to the box he called his home._

Naruto was still staring blankly until he noticed the retreating back of the raven. Finally broken from his stupor, he looked into the hat and pulled out the bills.

Five hundred dollars. What the fuck was he supposed to do with five hundred dollars? He didn't want the money, especially not when it came from the same person from so many years ago.

Taking off the beard and hat, cautious of any kids who might see him, he grabbed the money and dashed after the emotionless man. When he finally caught up to him he gripped the raven's shoulder and turned him around forcefully.

Sasuke was caught off guard as he nearly stumbled over his own feet when he was ungraciously turned back. Fury raced through him in a matter of seconds once he composed himself, ready to kick the ass of the person that dared to stupidly hurt him.

When he turned though, and caught sight of the person responsible for his anger, he blinked in surprise. _No I was not surprised._

Finally, when he gained his ability to talk, his voice proudly held the stoicism he had nearly lost. "What the fuck is you-" and it was embarrassingly stopped halfway through his sentence.

"Uchiha," the venom in the voice did not go unnoticed, but once again he was uncharacteristically surprised that it was directed at him.

"…take your money and leave, you don't belong here and I do not need any pity help from someone like you." Naruto brought the fist that held the money and shoved it into Sasuke's chest, not caring if the man picked it up or not.

Although Sasuke did not outwardly show it, yes, his Uchiha pride was on the line this day apparently, he internally gasped as his ebony orbs locked with azure. He was left immobile for a second, captivated by the depth and the swirling emotions he could see on those large, clear eyes. For a split second, he had the urge to grab the blonde's cheeks to stop the man from turning his gaze away from him.

Naruto's skin glistened under the moonlight, full, tan cheeks puffed as he breathed out harshly, and Sasuke could not help but think that he looked adorable.

He was berating himself for thinking such thoughts and it wasn't until he felt a small pain in his chest that he looked down only to find the money he had left in the black hat falling to his feet.

By the time he looked back up, the blond was already meters away from him, running until he stopped next to a green clad male with a bowl cut he assumed had been an elf in the show earlier on. He watched as the man asked the hunched over blond if he was alright.

Sasuke guessed Naruto's friend didn't believe him because the man looked up and caught Sasuke staring at Naruto. He saw as the man was about to come his way, only to be stopped by a hand grabbing his wrist, a small smiled plastered on his face.

The elf looked back at Sasuke, uncertainty in his eyes but nodded as Naruto led him over to the stand, grabbed the gifts left for him, and disappeared to an alley farther down the street.

Sasuke still stood and watched the two friends leave his sight. A slight pang in his chest had him clutch his shirt as his mind reeled a vague memory from many years ago. Usually he was able to remember even the smallest of things with great detail, but it was infuriating him that he could not recall something that felt so familiar.

Finally breaking away from his thoughts, he picked up the money at his feet and made his way back to where he had come from. There was probably no other way out since there didn't seem to be a single person from the other side of the fence walking around like him.

As he walked, he could not get the image of sapphire eyes away from his mind; the way rosy cheeks glowed and the blond hair which looked to be ridiculously soft. His thoughts were completely taken over by this man named Naruto that he completely missed his footing on one of the holes in the fence as he climbed up and subsequently fell back on a bag full of trash.

"Shit!" He quickly stood and brushed the dirt from his pants before he made his second attempt at climbing with more observance, his pride had been hurt enough.

After his successful jump, he rid himself of the cap and scarf and made his way back to the restroom window. Finding it still open, he climbed back up and left the restroom as if he had not been there for more than a minute.

The cashier he had paid earlier was still at the counter and only raised a questioning eyebrow as the Uchiha passed by him. Sasuke just shrugged and made his way out of the store, grateful to find the illuminated street almost empty

He finally found Itachi waiting for him outside of his car, a smirk on his face.

"What, dinner and you had a bickering time?" The older brother chuckled lightly, though it did not stop the poor pedestrian who happened to walk by him to freeze up in fear.

"Shut the fuck up, Itachi," Sasuke menacingly hissed as he climbed on the passenger side.

"Little brother, how rude! I was merely showing my concern." Itachi turned on the car before facing his brother, the Uchiha smirk still present.

"Did you have fun?" His eyes glinting with amusement, "I would have never pegged you to get it on inside a convenience store's shit room."

Sasuke glared at his brother, as he would any other person to get them off his back, but Itachi was not fazed. Living under the Uchiha household had made him immune. Now scaring the shit out of other people, oh the fun!

"Just drive. Nothing happened."

Itachi only seemed to become far more amused as he laughed in the way that left kids hidden behind their mommy's legs, a puddle at their feet.

"No wonder you're so moody, couldn't even get laid. Little brother I'm disappointed. You're loosing your touch."

With a final laugh, he took off and once again a brooding Sasuke looked out the window, his painful revenge already circulating its beginning.

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><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>So while I was having a tummy ache at wee hours in the morning, an idea came to my head and it starred Sasuke and Naruto! Well this will be my first attempt at writing a story about this pair. I don't know how long it will take for the next update (that is if anybody likes this) since my other story Shackled and Bound is my main focus right now. But I hope you readers like it. Review and tell me your thoughts or any ideas you would like to see in the story. I will love you guys so much if you review and i will even give you a cookie! *munch munch munch* Hooray for cookies! Well I thrive on reviews (Oooooh I'm a review whore!) so if you could leave your thoughts i would most definitely appreciate them :) Ja ne!


	2. Ramen Time

_**It LIVES!**_

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Naruto, it would not be suitable for children, the elderly or people with a weak heart. (I do though, own my OC)

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><p>Naruto made his way back home, Lee at his heels. The blond was still seething from his encounter with the Uchiha as he walked home. What was he doing in this side of town anyways? Everybody knew to stay out for their own good. Only one person made his imposing presence around this area, and even then he always came with company for his so called <em>sole protection.<em>

Behind him, Lee kept sneaking glances at his friend. The blond know how much Lee cared, but he could not find it in himself to become a burden and trouble Lee with his measly childhood troubles.

"Fuzzy Brows, stop looking at me like that I'm fine."

"Naruto, are you sure you are alright?" The bowl cut raven asked carefully. Something had occurred between his blond friend and that strange man he had seen. He wanted to be of some help to Naruto, but he would not pry any further if his friend did not wish to open up at the moment. Though, despite the years they had known each other, Lee felt a pang in his chest to know he still hadn't attained Naruto's complete trust.

With a small smile that Lee couldn't see, he nodded. "Yes, Lee. I'm fine. I promise. Now come on, I'm starving and I'm sure Tenten will have no remorse if she becomes a murderer if we're late again."

He could not dwell on that encounter anymore. He would not be the cause of the worry that would surely form in those baby blues waiting at home if he let his past take over.

Lee smiled reluctantly, albeit happy to hear the distress on Naruto dissipating.

There was no artificial light to shine their pathway as they made their way back to their shack of a home. Only the white fluorescent glow the moon emitted enough guidance, successfully avoiding all the holes and boulders in their way. After years of walking through the same path, they didn't need eyesight to find their way back home.

The ambiance encompassing the area was as silent as a world with no life in it. Those people who were not as lucky to have a roof ever their heads slept on the sidewalks, their soft snores accompanying the soothing lulls of the wind, the nightly creatures.

As they approached the rickety home, Naruto's senses went on high alert. Even if the world around them was silent, his house held the exception. There was always something brightening the stillness.

Unlike every night he walked home, there was no light seeping from under the door or from the cracks on the blinds. There was no noise he was usually accustomed to coming home to; there was just an eerily silence.

Naruto glanced at Lee and noticed that his happy demeanor was gone, replaced by a sullen countenance that did not suit his friend at all. Naruto's gut was coiled with a foreboding dread he had not felt in years.

They slowly walked closer, afraid of finding their inkling to be true too quickly. Quietly, Naruto turned the knob that was always left unlocked and pushed the wooden door, letting it swing wide open before taking a tentative step inside. The entire room was dark, though the silhouettes of the limited furniture they had were outlined by the moonlight. He walked further in, Lee right behind him, ready to cover his back if necessary.

The hat and gifts were left near the threshold, freeing them of any possible obstruction if they were to be on the defensive.

Suddenly, a small giggle resonated through the silence followed by a hushing sound. Both Lee and Naruto's stiff stances relaxed, letting out a breath they hadn't realized they were holding; their hands continued to shake from the bad premonition.

Picking up the hat, Naruto decided to go along with what appeared to be a game.

"Well Lee, I guess it's just you and I for dinner tonight _and _on the day when there's something other that ramen too. Tsk. Oh, well. More for us," he playfully sung as flicked on the dim light in the small living room. A couple of scented candles were lit before he sat on the floor, giving a more illuminating glow to the room.

Lee nodded grinning. "Yosh! I guess they will have to eat ramen tomorrow. Oh, the shame," he over exaggerated by shaking his head fervently and grasping his cheeks.

"Hey what's wrong with my ramen?" He playfully punched Lee's calf, feigning offence.

There was a small gasp from what they thought was the kitchen and Naruto smirked. _No way will he miss this, the little brat._

In an instant, little steps were heard getting closer and closer until finally Naruto was being glommed from behind by small hands.

"NO! You can't eat everything by yourself! You big meanie! Share. Sharing is caring!"

Naruto chuckled as he brought his large hands to cover the small ones. "Oh, really now. Who told you that? I thought you weren't here, having too much fun with Tenten over there." He turned and grabbed the small head and snuggled their cheeks together, eliciting the most beautiful giggles he had ever heard.

"Ah! Haha, stop, Papa. That tickles!" The boy squirmed in his fathers arms, playfully shoving against Naruto's shoulders.

Naruto pouted, which only made his son laugh heartedly at his attempt to look sad. Small hands trapped his tan cheeks only to receive a slobbery kiss on the nose. A wide smile grazed the blond's lips as he looked at his son's content satisfaction.

Tenten calmly walked in, the way the light hit her face only accentuated the smirk on her lips.

"So how far along did you get into committing a crime this time?" Naruto asked the brunette, his own smirk rivaling her own.

"Well, he miraculously freed himself from the scarf's hold, but I would say partially successful. He tired himself out while playing with Akamaru and _thankfully," _the way she emphasized the word made Naruto and Lee laugh,_ "_slept for a good 2 hours."

The blond smiled while continuing to tickle his son's uncovered belly. "So Yoichi , you have survived another day with bun-bun here. You sure are a survivor."

Cerulean orbs locked onto Naruto's own, a cheeky grin plastered on the small face. "Yup! Just like you, Papa."

Tenten regarded the small boy who could ignite her killer instincts to surface just like a certain blond haired idiot.

Yoichi was beautiful. His fair skin resembled so much to his mother's and his hair was the same dark, bluish hue, though you had to be in the sun to see it. He had the same hairstyle as his father, spikes falling onto his face framing it perfectly, though unlike Naruto, Yoichi wore them longer.

His eye were all Naruto's, blue with no clear depth on them seeming to trap those who looked into them into a never ending ocean. He was like an open book. Every emotion he felt swirled in those big, expressive orbs drowning it captor into an eternal oblivion.

He even inherited the same mischievous grin which made its appearance every time he committed a prank. Except for the absence of the scars on his cheeks and light pigmentation, he was the dark haired replica of Naruto.

"I could have sworn that by Hinata being the mother, the rugrat would have been more self-controlled and quiet, but nooooo! He just had to be more like you, even worse!" Tenten exclaimed as she ruffled Yoichi's hair affectionately.

Naruto smiled sadly. The mention of Hinata always brought bittersweet memories. There was not a day he did not think of her smile, the long, silky hair he loved to run his fingers through, the clear, lavender eyes that had once upon a time looked at him with adoration, even when people told her he would never be good enough for her.

God, how he missed her.

Then there were those horrific images etched in his mind. The way she lay sprawled on the floor, blood pooling around her, the abrasions on her pale skin, her eyes no longer twinkling with life, her lithe neck cut deeply.

And his best friend, Kiba. His cranium had been blown off with just one shot, remnants of his brain scattered on the floor.

All because of that bastard.

People advised him to never go against the mayor, but had Naruto listened? No. He just had to open his big mouth and do exactly what he had been told not to do and look what happened; he lost the mother of his child and his best friend on the same day.

If only he had done what he was told. If only he had listened. Hinata would still be alive, watching as Yoichi grew, reveling his small, yet unforgettable accomplishments: his first word, his first step, his first smile.

Being lost in his thoughts, he did not notice the change in his expression. His brows were narrowed, his eyes formed into slits and his lips scowled. It wasn't until insistent tugs on his sleeve that he came out of his thoughts.

He looked down only to find Yoichi's blue eyes staring worryingly into his own, a small frown marring his beautiful face. "Papa, are you okay?"

Once again pale hands came up to his cheeks and a small forehead pressed against is own, Yoichi's own way of comforting people. He was far more perceptive than a five year old should be.

Rubbing his head soothingly against his son's, Naruto's smile returned. "Yeah, kiddo. I'm fine. Sorry for worrying ya."

Yoichi nodded uncertainly and released his father's cheeks, white imprints left behind.

Lee looked sadly at the endearing relationship of father and son before him. Over the years, he had seen the obstacles the blond successfully, albeit painfully, overcame. Help was always around, but Naruto endlessly choose to take matters into his own hands to prove his worth, his strength.

Sometimes, Lee wished he could be that pillar Naruto could rely on.

It wasn't until recently that he came to terms with his feelings and accepted to liking the blond as more than a friend. It wasn't just physically, although Kami knows his dreams reminded him of the physical attraction, but it was the heart which he carried that he loved the most.

Naruto never held back on his emotions and his sense of wrong and right was admirable, even if his actions to defend his principles were made in haste. He loved the way he acted with his son and the smile that lit up even the most depressed of men.

But he knew he would never be more than a friend to Naruto and he would rather keep his feelings to himself. Naruto didn't feel the same and he did not think he would be able to handle the rejection if he were to confess his feelings. Plus, he didn't want to shatter the friendship they had and if keeping his love hidden meant that he could stay close and protect his most dearest people, then that was what he most certainly planned on doing.

With a small smile, he stealthily walked toward Yoichi and picked him up into the air twirling him in a circle.

"Come one, Kiddo. Time for chow!"

"Aaaah! Lee! Put me down! I'm gonna throw up. I'm. Gonna. Throw. Up!"

As fast as he had picked him up, Lee put him back down on a chair by the small table, where he already had dinner set up. All three adults laughed as Yoichi crossed his arms and closed his eyes to get rid of the dizziness.

"Lee, if I didn't know any better I would say you're conspiring along with Tenten."

Naruto continued to chuckle as he sat down next to his son. He looked at the table in front of him and sighed disappointedly.

"What's wrong, Papa?" Yoichi asked as he grabbed a piece of chicken.

"The most horrible thing my boy," he pouted.

Tenten and Lee already knew what was coming next, so mindful of their ears, they decided to cover them.

"THERE'S NO RAMEN!" He all but shouted as he extended his arms towards the table to signal his problem.

"Thank God," Yoichi mumbled which produced a snort from Tenten and a rare smirk from Lee.

Naruto turned his head to look at the raven head next to him. "How can you be my son and not like ramen! That's just…..ludicrous!"

"No, Papa. What's ludicrous is your unhealthy obsession with ramen. You are going to die much sooner if you continue."

Silence filled the room.

There was a stunned look on Naruto's face as he stared at his son.

Tenten couldn't hold her laughter anymore and just let her snorts flow freely. "Why…they shocked…face?" she choked between laughs, "Too many…big words for your…small brain to comprehend?"

Lee just chuckled as he waved a hand in front of Naruto. He was still too stunned to notice the hand flicking his forehead.

Finally he regained his ability to talk. "How in the world do you know what ludicrous means? What happened to my little boy who used little words like silly, or dumb?"

Yoichi flashed him a sparkling smile. "Iruka's been teaching me when you're working. He says it's good to learn early and so I can s'pas….soopras…surpise?" He scrunched his nose at his difficulty in pronouncing the word.

"Surpass?" Lee pitched in.

"Yeah! That one," he pointed at Lee, wiggling his little finger, "so I can surpass my Papa."

"Well kid, I think you already have. He didn't know what ludicrous meant until about five years ago," she grinned looking directly at Naruto who only glared at the brunette.

"I do know more big words!" he uttered, "I just choose to-"

"…not overuse the little brain cells you have by thinking of a word to avoid getting headaches?" Tenten innocently suggested .

Naruto stuck out his tongue and crossed his arms, biting on a chicken leg every so often.

The rest of dinner time went by in relative peace with a retort being said every so often. They stayed in minor conversations until Yoichi and even Lee rested their heads on the table, their eyes flickering close.

Naruto picked Yoichi up, while Tenten poked Lee's shoulder continuously until he opened his eyes.

"Come on, Lee. Time for bed."

"Mmmm…" Tenten watched amusedly as her best friend since childhood sleepwalked to his makeshift bed on the floor. Since there was only one bedroom, she was given the privilege of taking it after much convincement from the boys' part while they slept in the living room.

Naruto was trying to brush Yoichi's teeth, though it proved to be a hard task without the full cooperation of the sleeping boy in his arms. After much difficulty, he finished and brushed his own. Making his way back to the living room, he saw Tenten making her way to her room.

"Hey, Tenten?" he asked softly, so as to not stir the angel in his arms from his sleep.

"Yeah?" The brunette walked towards Naruto, running her slim fingers through black locks in a massaging manner.

"Don't do that ever again."

Tenten looked up. Blue orbs eyed her intensely and she could see the fear spiraling, crashing like suffocating waves into her own heart.

She knew what he was talking about. She had been against Yoichi's plan on surprising his dad, knowing that a dark silent house was the worst thing Naruto could come home to after the deaths of two of his most important people.

"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry, Naruto." Her eyes still held the intense gaze. A few seconds later, her eyes went downcast. Being under the scrutiny of Naruto's eyes could be intimidating, especially when he wasn't being his goofy self.

Naruto's gaze softened. He could feel Tenten's discomfort and internally cursed.

"It's okay. Just come up with a better welcoming surprise next time. Even if you have to tie him up and hang him from the ceiling, convince him to do something else."

Tenten looked up again, a small smile grazed her lips. "So no repercussions if you find him passed out?"

A light laugh escaped the blond's lips. "I don't know. We'll see when we get there."

Chuckling, the brunette brought her fingers to caress Yoichi's cheek and gave him a light peck on the forehead. Lifting herself on the balls of her feet, she gave Naruto's scarred cheek the same affection.

"Goodnight, Naruto," she whispered as she trudged back to her room.

"Night," he answered to her retreating back.

With a small sigh he continued his way to the living room.

Laying Yoichi next to Lee, he walked over to the sofa and pulled out the bed. Picking Yoichi back up again, he placed him on the squeaky mattress, placed a wool cover over him and watched as his son snuggled himself into a comfortable fetal position.

Before laying down himself, he walked over to the light switch and flicked off the electrical current, the candles still illuminating the room.

Returning next to the sofa bed, he sat next to Yoichi and rubbed soothing circles on the small raven's back while staring into the dimmed wall.

His encounter with the Uchiha was still on his mind and the more he thought about it the more enraged he became.

He hated people like the Uchihas who only seemed to patronize those of lower classes, and mock their inferiority just to boost their ego. They may be rich and famous, but that didn't give them the right to treat others as if they were nothing more than mere trash.

A small noise beside him brought him back to the real world. He hadn't noticed he stopped rubbing Yoichi's back and the absence of the lulling gesture stirred the young boy.

Smiling, he began his ministrations once again and shifted himself into a sleeping position, where he slowly drifted in a restless slumber.

* * *

><p><strong>AN**: Hiya! "..." *winces at the glares* I'm so sorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyy! I didn't think it was going to take me this long to come up with something worth readable and even then I cut out so much from this chapter that involved Sasuke! In the end I just gave up and put my foot down. Sasuke is just going to have to wait for his own chapter! So I hope this makes up for my long absence in this story. It's not much but this part practically wrote itself a couple of months ago. I have a soft spot for kids, they are just sooo adorable! :3 And I love pairing up Lee and Naruto in a deep bonded friendship. I swear I will try hard to write a longer chapter next time, so please put your pitchforks down for just a tiny second XP I still don't know where I'm going with this story precisely, so I'm not promising a speedy update, especially since I'm at a dead end on my GaaLee story and school is starting once again. Ugh, what a drag. I hope you guys like it and review. Any mistakes, point them out, I'll be more than happy to fix any I have overlooked. Once again Please forgive me! *pleading puppy face*


	3. Worries

**Disclaimer: **Naruto is the sole property of Masashi Kishimoto.

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><p>Sasuke's ride back home went uneventfully. His expression remained neutral despite the fact that he would be returning home after a year and a half of being away. He was glad he would be seeing his parents again, not that he was busting with joy about it, but the thoughts of his encounter with the blond man and the memory he could not seem to conjure were disturbing his peace.<p>

He was sure he had seen that same expression before, but for the life of him he could not remember where and it was pissing him off. It was not every day that somebody completely went off on him. The repercussions one would suffer stifled those impulses, but here was somebody who dared to one: scream at him, two: throw back his money to his face and three: enrapture him with just the gaze alone.

Ever since he was young, he understood his wants and found no need to care about the importance of gender. As long as he was receiving pleasure, he didn't care about the structure of the genitals. Finding this 'Naruto' had sparked something he had only felt once and the remembrance of the pain he endured because of it was keeping this newfound feeling at bay.

As he continued to wrack his brain to a point in his life where he had encountered those same eyes, he missed the warning sign before his brother struck him in the arm with his fist to signal that they had arrived home.

Sasuke glared vehemently at the retreating back of his smug older brother before he made his way out of the car, surreptitiously rubbing his abused arm.

"Asshole," he muttered only to hear a low chuckle when his brother still heard it.

"It's my job little brother."

"Grow up will you," the youngest shot back as he climbed the stairs that lead to the door.

Before they even had the chance to knock, the door was pulled open by an average sized woman who resembled her sons in hair color alone. Her arms spread wide as she approached Sasuke and held on tight as if decades had passed instead of a year and a half.

Despite his cold exterior, it was in the presence of his mother that his barriers were broken down a little and he smiled as he wrapped his hands around the shorter woman's torso. He would never tell that he had a soft spot when it came to her. That would only give her the liberty coddle him as much as possible despite his age, but he couldn't help but accept the warm hugs that she provided.

After what seemed like an eternity Itachi pried their overly-giddy mother away from the younger Uchiha and made their way inside the house. Everything was as Sasuke remembered. The Uchiha's were not big on change so everything always remained the same. The floors were impeccably shiny, the wall retained their luminous glow in the faint light and the air smelled of a light lavender mist—an odor their mother adored.

The three of them made their way to the dining table where their father was more than likely waiting. In every corner the youngest Uchiha was welcomed home and congratulated for his new movie success. Sasuke ignored them; much to the maid's disappointed who only wanted to be acknowledged by the young master, even if just for a second. All three finally seated themselves, Mikoto besides Fugaku and the two brothers opposite to her.

Turning to his father, he acknowledged him with a single word.

"Father."

Fugaku looked up for a second, nodded and went back to reading.

Although Mikoto was used to this type of silence from her three stoic men, she had resolved herself to changing the atmosphere from now on. Things just couldn't keep going on like this.

"Honey, can't you welcome your son home a bit more warmly? It's been a year since we have seen him and all you do is nod and go back to your book?"

Itachi smirked as he noticed his father's composure faltering a little. He always did wonder how his parents had even managed to form a relationship with such little communication between them, mostly in part due to his father.

"Mikoto," the head Uchiha warned through his undertone.

"What? You promised me you would try. If not for your sake at least for mines and theirs."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this. Yes there were times he had heard his parents argue, though he couldn't quite remember one being as trivial as this. For the first time he was about to witness the power his mother held over his father.

"I swear Fugaku Uchiha, you will not eat if you fail to do as you promised," her tone leaving no room for betrayal in her threat.

The two sons watched in mild amusement as their father sent a menacing glare toward their mother, whom was not fazed in the least by it, and realized that she had won.

Reluctantly, Fugaku made his way toward Sasuke who seemed perturbed by what his father was intending to do.

"Mother, he doesn't have to," he turned to address her while still keeping an eye on the older male.

"Quiet, Sasuke," she ordered as her eyes followed her husband's stiff movements.

Surprised at the command, the young raven turned his gaze to his father who seemed to be approaching him at a very slow, reluctant pace.

"Sasuke, stand up."

Obeying, he slid his chair backwards and stood, standing at eye level with the other man. Fugaku raised his arms, and though he was unsure of how to do it, wrapped them around his son's midsection in the most awkward hug Sasuke had ever received.

Itachi couldn't help but snicker as he witnessed the very first act of paternal affection completely instigated by his docile mother.

The hug was brief and both father and son quickly scooted away from each other as if they had been scorched by the mere contact.

The head woman smiled, glad for the step both men had taken. Before her husband could sit down, she opened her lips once more. "Don't forget Itachi, Honey."

The laughter that had formed in the eldest son's throat died as he heard those words. He could tell his father was not happy either, but from the dark chuckle his younger brother emitted, he cursed karma twice the fuck over. He dared to look at his mother and caught her lifting her eyebrows, signaling him to stand up.

With the same amount of reluctance, Itachi and Fugaku went into an embrace that was just as uncomfortable as it was with Sasuke.

As all three men regained their pride, Mikoto smiled warmly as she looked at them. It had taken an assassination attempt to open her eyes and see just how little they interacted with each other. No one knew when one would see their loved ones for the last time and she did not want any of them to regret having spent so little time with each other. Call her crazy but she longed to see her family conversing on a normal basis.

As the food made its way to their plates, Mikoto laughed silently as she regarded her husband and sons. They all had the same mannerism when it came to eating. Unfolding the napkin and placing it on the right side of their plate, taking a sip of their water glass before grabbing their fork and taking a bite out of the meat first.

If they could only see themselves, they would notice the little inherited quirks they seem to share. They were a sight to see all right.

* * *

><p>Before dinner concluded, Sasuke coughed and caught the attention of the entire table and surrounding staff.<p>

"I have an announcement I need to make." He looked around at the curious faces and continued.

"I have decided to quit acting."

To say the room was silent in shock was putting it mildly. Mikoto's eyes grew as worry was placed on her delicate features. He looked at his father, but he could not read his expression. Itachi was blank in the face as well.

"Honey, why? Are you unhappy with it? Is it unsatisfying? Did something happen?"

Mikoto's questioning was frustrating him a little. He did not want to go into details as to why because he wasn't ready to face up with reality and he did not want them to worry.

"Are you sure?" Fugaku asked as he continued to stare at his son.

"Yes father. I'm sure." That was the one thing he liked about his father, he did not find the need to pry unless you divulged your problems voluntarily. Fugaku nodded slowly, accepting his decision.

His mother, though, was another story.

"Sasuke, are you listening to me? Are you alright? Talk to me, sweetie," she made a move to stand but stopped when she saw a rarity occur.

Wanting to escape, he smiled at his mother.

"I just want to try something new. I want a bit of diversity that is all. "

Mikoto held her gaze on her son, doubt in her eyes, but decided to leave it alone for now.

"Okay sweetie, as long as that is what you want."

Sasuke nodded and took one last gulp of water.

He excused himself from the table and quickly made the trek up the stairs to his room. He could feel the jetlag draining him rapidly and the faster he made it to bed, the less likely he was to collapse on the hallway, which was looking mighty comfortable at the moment.

Maybe it wasn't the physical exhaustion that was tearing away his ability to stay awake, but the emotional fatigue he had quietly endured over the past months abroad.

Reaching his bedroom door, he briskly walked over to his balcony windows and pulled the drapes closed in exceptional haste, engulfing the room in total darkness. He clumsily undressed himself to his stark nudity and fell into the comforts of his bed.

In a matter of minutes a deep, slow breathing could faintly be heard.

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><p>Unbeknownst to Sasuke, the inner turmoil he was silently fighting did not go unnoticed. He could have fooled the entire world with his uncaring disposition, but one person knew him well enough to notice the slight change in his personality. He was sure his parents had noticed too, but he always took the initiative in finding out information.<p>

As the night went on, the figure sat on the inner part of the room which concealed him entirely if need to be. Every now and then, there was a shift in the bed and on slight occasions a whimpering could barely be made out. The man watched the bundle in the sheets intently and took note of the rigid positions Sasuke slept in for brief periods before relaxing, but not before calling out a single word.

"Sakura," he whispered over and over again in a painful whisper, almost as if he was reliving a horrid reality.

Itachi leaned back on the chair and continued to stare at Sasuke.

After a few hours, he stood and made his way back to the hallway.

_What happened with Sakura, little brother, which made you give up your career? You can't hide this forever you know. I will find out. _

With light footsteps, he walked toward the front door and exited quietly. He needed answers and he needed them now.

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><p><strong>AN:** After such a long wait I return. And with such a short chapter too. I know I suck. I'm sorry, but hey at least it's moving along finally. I know there's no interaction between our two favorite to be lovers-to-be, but patience my friends. :) I hope you guys enjoyed it. Until Next time.


	4. Lost

**Disclaimer: ****Naruto will never ever in a million years belong to me! Now shake, shake, shake senora, shake your body line. Work, work work senora, work your body line! (Jump in de line, rock your body in time) OK, I believe you!**

**Sing with me darlings!**

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><p>He awoke to the sounds feet scurrying along the concrete floor and arose from the coziness of his bed only to dive back into the covers. A cold breeze filtered through the cracks of the wooden home. The morning light seeped in illuminating orange strips in the inside, like iron bars of a cage.<p>

The footsteps stopped and Naruto grinned. He closed his eyes again, faking sleep and turned as if he was getting comfortable in a new position. He kept up his charade until he knew when to strike. Stretching his arms under the covers, he waited until he could feel Yoichi's small intakes of breath mere inches from his face.

He waited.

And waited.

"Gotcha—aaaaah! Fucking shit!" The blond ricocheted from his son, slapping his Yoichi's hands away and throwing whatever it was that he had in his hands far from his vicinity.

"Aww! Dad! Why did you do that?" The kiddo skirted off full speed almost tripping on his two bare feet as he chased after what he'd found.

"Yoichi! What the heck was that? You almost gave me a heart attack!"

Naruto didn't receive an answer and only stared at his son as he ran from room to room.

"Aha! Got you!"

"Got what?

"My new pet," the boy grinned as he approached his father.

"Pet? Since when do you have a pet?"

"Since this morning. I found him when I went to go potty."

Naruto rubbed his face, looking at the boy from his peripherals. "And what is it exactly."

"It's a mouse. "

Naruto's eyes widened. "A mouse? Nonononononono. You can't keep a mouse as a pet. That's unhygienic. What if it has a disease? Take it outside."

"Aww, but papa, he looks lonely. Besides, why can't I have a pet?"

"Lonely?" He scoffed. "How do you figure that? And because I say so. You're too young. You can't even reach the damn toilet seat, kiddo."

"It's his eyes, dad. Look," he brought the gray, dirty looking mouse closer to Naruto's face, making his eyes go cross-eyed. "They look sad. And I'm a big boy. Tenten told me!" Yoichi huffed petulantly.

The blond scooted away from those sad looking eyes. They did look lonely. "Oh, really. She told you that."

"Uh huh. She told me I could make my own cereal because I'm a big boy now."

Blue eyes rolled. "She was just being lazy that's why she told you that."

Yoichi's eyes narrowed. "I'm keeping him."

"Him? You don't even know its gender! No."

"Yes."

"I said no."

"Yes, or I'm going to tell Iruka you said some bad words."

Naruto face palmed. "You've got to be kidding me. You're going to blackmail me, kid? Me? Your own father?"

A small smile was forming on the child's face lighting a spark in his cerulean orbs. "Yes."

There was no doubt, Yoichi was Naruto's kid.

_I better get a father of the year mug for this. _"Fine. You can keep him, but keep it away from me and give it a bath or something. It stinks."

"Yay!" Yoichi jumped around the sofa bed while having a tight hold on the poor creature. Naruto actually felt bad for it. He hoped the boy didn't go all _Of Mice and Men_ on the poor thing.

Yawing away the sleepiness, he looked around the room and noticed Lee was gone.

"Hey kid! Where's Lee?"

Naruto watched as the black haired boy wrapped his new pet in a blanket. "He went out with Tenten. They didn't want to wake you up."

"Did they say where?"

"No siree bob!"

Grumbling, Naruto got out of bed. He was supposed to go out into the city today. There was always an abundance of soda cans littered around to get him enough to buy food for the week, but he needed either Tenten or Lee to stay with his son. Iruka wouldn't be available on Sundays either. Damn! He couldn't take his son with him. It'd be too dangerous, but then again…

He looked at Yoichi and smiled regretfully. They boy had never seen anything outside of the filth they lived in. Maybe, just once, it wouldn't hurt to take him out and see the Christmas lights, hear the music and live the spirit. As much as he suffered living among those people, who took everything for granted and lived in complacency, Christmas had always been special to him. Everything looked more alive, more cheery and there was more sincerity in the eyes of the people. It was like a spell where everybody would come together to celebrate, sharing among all others their bright spirit.

Maybe it wouldn't hurt.

"Hey, Yoichi?"

"Yeah, Papa?" He was still struggling on wrapping the mouse up in the small rag.

"What do you say—Hey! You're suffocating the poor thing. Loosen the hold, would ya? Anyways, would you like to come with me to the city today?"

The young boy looked him with eyes full of excitement. "You mean that, Papa? I can go with you?"

"Only if you behave," he grinned.

"Okay, okay! I promise! I will be on my best behavior." Yoichi jumped in place, no doubt causing the poor mouse nausea.

"Deal, and uh, kid? You might want to put the mouse down or you won't even enjoy a day of being a pet owner."

Yoichi looked down to the furry thing and gasped. The poor thing looked scared out of its wits.

* * *

><p>"Okay, Yoichi. You remember all that I told you?"<p>

Yoichi nodded. "Affirmative captain."

"Geez, kid. Just go to college already. Okay, so tell me, rule number one."

"Don't let go of your hand."

"Two."

"Don't take anything."

"Three. "

"If I get lost don't move from my spot, don't talk to strangers and don't cross the street."

"Four."

"Don't let go of your hand."

Naruto clapped, startling the boy, but beamed in anticipation. He hoped to get enough to buy Yoichi at least one thing that was not initially found in dumpsters. He checked his backpack for the essentials. An extra sweater for Yoichi, some snacks, a flashlight and the bit of money he'd been saving for a few months now. With his share as well as Tenten and Lee's they'd make their way out of the hell hole they were living now. But it had to be done right. They couldn't leave traces for anybody to follow them. As much as he liked the community of people, he couldn't have Yoichi growing up in such a shit place. Even he knew that an education would be advantageous for Yoichi and he just couldn't provide him with one at this place. There was not hope but being prisoners.

"Alright, put your hoodie on. I don't want you getting sick on me."

With hands fumbling with excitement, Yoichi obeyed and immediately grabbed a hold of the large tan hand.

"I'm ready, Papa."

Naruto nodded as he adjusted the backpack and tightened his hold on Yoichi's hands. He looked down and exhaled deeply. "Okay, little man. Here we go. Oh, wait! I forgot!"

Kneeling down on one knee, he locked eyes to his exact replicas; a serious expression dominated his face. "Okay, there are certain things you have to know before I take you out. You know the mayor, right? They guy that makes up all the rules here, keeps us counted?" Yoichi nodded. "He doesn't know that we've found a hole to get out to the place we're going so everything you see, mum's the word. Got it?"

Childlike eyes that held too much wisdom for a five year old flickered with enough understanding to comprehend that what his father was saying was important, though not why. Naruto smiled and caught Yoichi in an embrace. He would get them out this place, even if it's the last thing he does.

* * *

><p>"Oomph!" Yoichi caught himself before he fell face first on the sidewalk. Everything about the city was enchanting him, distracting his sight from the road.<p>

"Whoa there, kiddo," Naruto chuckled, amused by his son's bewilderment. "You okay?"

'Yeah…yeah," he looked around, entranced. "It's so clean here! And the stores…they're everywhere!"

Experiencing Yoichi's excitement made him regret the apprehension he had in bringing his son out into a norm of civilization. It's just…thing weren't so pretty for him growing up and he dreaded the thought of Yoichi having to go through the name calling, the hostile stares and the unjustifiable hatred the city seemed to have for kids like himself. He didn't want his own flesh and blood being subjected to such treatment.

"Hey! What's that?" Naruto glanced at what Yoichi was pointing at, a young boy in a scooter.

"That's a scooter."

"Ah. It looks like fun," the five year old continued to stare at the retreating back of the other boy and his fancy toy. The blond only sighed, knowing he couldn't afford to get his own son something like that any time soon.

With forlorn eyes, Naruto hefted Yoichi up, turning him away from the sight. "I promise you, I will get you one someday.

Yoichi pulled away enough to look at Naruto in the face and grabbed the whiskered cheeks. "It's okay, Papa. I don't really need it. I have you to have fun."

If Naruto wasn't so conscientious about the people in his surroundings, tears and snot would be excreting from his face from the most wonderful words he could ever hear.

Choking back the embarrassing tremors in his voice, he hugged his son tight. He couldn't have asked for a better son than Yoichi. He didn't know what he would do without him. Life would be a whole lot hellish, that's for sure.

"Thank you, baby, but I promise you. I will get you a scooter one day. I will get you anything you want because I want you to have everything. You know I would give you the world if I could and I will make sure I get close to it."

"Agh, Papa! I'm not a baby!" He slapped playfully at Naruto's backside. "I'm a big boy and I know you will because you are the best papa in the world," the child smiled in the blond neck, loving every bit of the embrace. He loved nothing more than to be in the safety of his dad's arms.

"You can put me down now, Papa."

"Huh? Oh, right! Sorry about that, Kiddo. You just made me kinda happy, 'ya know?"

Yoichi giggled heartedly as he was put down to his feet. "You're such a sap, Papa!"

"Yeah, yeah. I know. Tenten tells me every day, now come on. We have cans to pick up. All the money that comes out of your bag, you get to keep as an allowance, deal?"

The boy jumped, excited to earn his own share. "Okay! Hurry, Papa! Hurry! I'm not getting any younger."

* * *

><p>Coal like eyes stared ahead at nothing, ignoring the crowd that surrounded him as he waited impatiently on his mother. How she managed to drag him out to go shopping was true black magic. He wasn't going into the stores though. He had to draw a line somewhere.<p>

He cracked his neck, annoyed at the kink that continued to bother him. Last night had not been a good one. Actually, he hadn't had a good night's rest in a long time. He was exhausted and it showed on his face. His opalescent skin reflected the dark circles underneath his eyes. If he was shooting a movie, they would have been covered with makeup, but he didn't see the importance of taking beauty school 101 to keep himself pristine. That was just annoying.

He switched his gaze to the sky, watching the clouds go by slowly, shifting and contorting into nothing that always managed to be something with the help of imagination.

His surroundings were getting louder and louder and it was pissing him off. Couldn't they leave him alone just once? They always flocked around asking for autographs he would grudgingly give. He actually _is_ a normal guy. Do people forget that?

As he continued to completely overlook his fans, there was a distinctive sound that droned the rest. It wasn't specifically loud, just repetitive and his curiosity was winning him over.

He walked closer to the direction of the noise, his fans loyally following behind but giving him room to seek out what he was looking for.

"Papa! Where are you, Papa! PAPA!"

Sasuke didn't know what force on earth led him to stand next to the lost boy, but something just pulled him. Like a powerful gravity.

"Hey, Kid. What's wrong?"

The small child turned at the voice and something caught in Sasuke's throat. Those eyes. It was like he knew them. It was yesterday all over again. He'd seen the same orbs somewhere before, in the same tearful and scared state years ago. (1)

He couldn't move away now. Not when he had an idea of who this kid belonged to.

The boy sniffled and opened his lips to speak but immediately closed them.

"Hey, I can't help you if you don't tell me what's wrong."

Cerulean orbs regarded him with apprehension as a debate seemed to go on inside the boy's head. He nodded as if he reached a good decision.

"I'm lost. When the crowd moved here I lost sight of my dad. We were picking up can. Now I can't find him. He said I shouldn't move if I did get lost that way he could find me faster."

Sasuke crouched down to eye level with youngster. He was pretty surprised with the kids enunciation. He didn't speak with that annoying broken toddlers' language.

"What's your dad's name? I'll help you find him."

The small features on the boy's face scrunched up, deliberating on whether to tell the strange man the name of his papa or not. He came to the conclusion that it wouldn't hurt if it would help him find his dad.

"His name is Naruto." _Bingo. I knew it, _"…but I'm not s'posed to be talking to strangers."

_The kid is smart. _

Sasuke smirked. "Okay, how about I stay with you until your dad shows up. That way you'll remain in the same place, but you won't be alone. Deal?"

Yoichi eyed the man suspiciously. Well he didn't seem like one of the bad guys. He was being nice. And he wasn't offering candy like Iruka said most bad guys do.

Sasuke could tell the boy was mulling the idea over. Probably asking if he was a bad guy.

Sasuke stood and dug into his pockets. He looked around and saw how the women were cooing over his interaction with the child, but he ignored them. Finding what he was looking for, he crouched down again and handed the boy his phone.

"Look, you know the number for the police, right?"

Yoichi nodded slowly as he took the object from the extended hand. "If I do anything wrong, anything that you find suspicious you can call and tell them to pick you up. The address is 263 Main Street. Can you remember that?"

Black locks moved as the small head nodded again. He stored the information in the back of his head just like he was told.

"Mister?"

Sasuke lifted a brow. "What?"

"What's your name?"

Ah, of course. Sasuke stood and walked over to the bench near them. He gestured for the boy to follow and reluctantly, Yoichi did just that.

"Sasuke. My name is Sasuke."

Yoichi struggled to sit on the bench. It was too tall for him and the boy grunted in annoyance for his short height. The young man took pity and lifted the boy up by the hoop of his jeans. He was surprisingly light.

The blue eyed child grunted a thank you as he adjusted himself in the seat and finally locked his eyes to the black ones beside him.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Sasuke. I'm Yoichi." He extended his small hand toward the grown up, waiting for his hand to be shaken.

Sasuke could not believe this was Naruto's son. His manners were refreshing, especially for a child.

With a rare warm smile, he took the small, soft hand in his and shook it. "Likewise, Yoichi. Likewise."

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><p><strong>(1): I don't know if this is going to confuse people. It makes sense in my head, but I'll just go ahead and explain it. Because he encountered Naruto the day prior and saw his eyes, he can deduct that Yoichi has a connection with him, but he, in fact, cannot remember that he met naruto way back when they were kids. He just can't remember him so every time he looks at naruto's or yoichi's eyes he remembers a boy but makes no connection to it being Naruto. I hope this didn't confuse anyone further. <strong>

**A/N:** OMG! I was productive today! I updated two stories! YAAAAAAAAAAAAY! Me so Happy!

Okay, well I hope you enjoy. I really adore writing Yoichi. He's so adorable! Alright, well if you read it, thank you and I hope you review. I love hearing what you guys think.

Now I will go study for I test I forgot I have tomorrow. I don't even want to try. I think I'm going to drop out anyways. College really isn't for everybody. Oh, but if you find college to be your cup of tea, please, by all means enjoy it and I wish you luck. Ah well please don't pay attention to my rants.

Ja ne! Unitl next time!


	5. Found

Disclaimer: Only Yoichi is mine the cute little thing!

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><p>"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck. Fuckity, FUCK!" Naruto ran in desperate, mad cursing need to find his son.<p>

"Yoichi!"

The boy had been with him not ten seconds ago. It was all because of that stupid female mob that started forming out of nowhere! Were they giving out free stuff or something? He needed to check on that once he found Yoichi.

Speaking of, "YOICHI!"

He pushed through the women and ignored the complaints sent his way. This was not the time to feel bad about making his way through girls when he had more pressing matters to occupy his mind. He'd lost his so, for god damn sake!

"Yoichi, where are you?"

As he hurried deeper into the throng of bodies, he began to notice the crowd parting way for him willingly. _Well this is not weird. Last time I checked my name was Naruto, not Moses. _

"Yoichi!"

He ears picked up on a couple of giggling noises and hurried whispers and suddenly he was quite aware that _many _eyes were on him. Far too many for his liking.

Naruto decided to ask for help since he was now the center of attention.

"Uh…has any of you seen a small boy about yay high, black hair, blue ey-"

Every single hand within is line of vision pointed straight into the direction he was headed. At the end of the line, he was able to make up his son jumping up and down.

"Papa! Papa! I'm right here. Hurry up, Papa!

With an awkward bow to the helping ladies, he rushed towards his son and scooped him up into a bone crushing embrace.

"Fuck, kid. Don't you ever do that again! I almost died when you weren't next to me. I don't know what I would have done if something happened to you." Everything was said so rushed, but Yoichi understood every single word.

Yoichi chose not to reprimand his dad for his swearing and instead managed to lean back from the hug in order to look him in the eyes. "I know, Papa. But Mr. Sasuke stayed with me until you could find me. He even gave me his phone to call the police if I saw him wanting to do something bad." His small hand brought up the contraption in order to show it to a still blubbering Naruto.

Because he was so occupied with letting out his relief, Naruto failed to notice the presence of said _Mr. Sasuke _right beside him and kept ignoring him as he held the small boy an arm's length away from himself.

"You know what a phone is?" Naruto had never managed to educate Yoichi on such technology. Heck, now that he thought about it he never even once mentioned the number for the cops. There was no need for them where they lived. Not like they would even take the time to go if there _was_ an emergency.

Yoichi nodded. "Iruka told me."

Ah. Trust Iruka to be the responsible adult.

Sasuke smiled for a brief second when he witnessed the little reunion, but sculpted his face back into that of stoicism before any of the fan girls managed to snap a photo.

He waited patiently for the blond to turn his way. He was ready for the explosive reaction. He was bracing himself for it like any soldier would brace for war. He itched for the outburst.

He waited. And waited. And god damn it! Why the _hell_ was he still waiting? He knew he wasn't invisible. The girls flocking around proved it!

Sasuke took a few steps forward and grunted. Yoichi took notice of him first, smiling apologetically for his father's rudeness.

_Finally _after it felt like eons of being ignored—this was a first for the ex-actor—Naruto turned his head slowly.

"Thank you so mu-"

The blond father stopped dead on his tracks. He pointed like and insolent child toward Sasuke. "YOU! First yesterday and now today? Are you 'stalkin me or something, Uchiha? What were you doing with my child?"

Before Sasuke got the chance to answer, he raised his eyebrows in surprise.

Yoichi was amazed at his father's behavior. And not in a good way!

"Dad!" A small fist connected with a black covered shoulder. There were surprised gasps from the girls circling the three males before a chorus of humorous laughter followed if not for the young boy's action then for the comical expression on his dad's face.

Sasuke, as well, was quite amused. He couldn't help but be quite taken by Yoichi.

Naruto stared at his son with a flabbergasted expression. "You hit me!"

"You were being rude, Papa! He was nice enough to stay here with me and you are being a big meanie!" Yoichi crossed his arms and gave Naruto the best glare he could muster up. To everyone else, it was an adorable pout.

"I…I wasn't being mean to him it's just-"

"You were just being mean and rude and you should apologize or I will tell Iruka!"

Naruto closed his eyes. At the rate they were going, Yoichi was the one who would be getting the father of the year mug. Wasn't _he_ the adult?

"You can't be serious, man. This is the second time today that you've threatened to tell Iruka on me. Stop acting like a child."

Yoichi scrunched up his nose at that. "I _am_ a kid, what's your excuse?"

Sasuke, determining the discussion would take a while, decided to sit down once again. He couldn't deny that he was enjoying the family feud going on and as he looked around, he could see their spectators agreed with him.

Naruto was sputtering incoherencies as he looked up pleadingly to the heavens above. _Am I really a father? _

"Fine! You want me to apologize, I'll do that you big tattle tale!" The blond huffed before setting Yoichi on his feet. He regarded the Uchiha once again and bowed.

"I sincerely apologize for the way I acted just now and thank you for keeping my son company while we were separated." Every single word was said seething through his teeth and Yoichi noticed it, but he was mildly content.

Sasuke wasn't sure how long he could contain his laughter, but he tried his damn hardest to restrain himself. Uchiha's did not laugh, so he opted for a smirk.

"You have to be disciplined by your own child? Aren't you ashamed of yourself?"

The tan face turned red. How dare the bastard insult him with that patronizing voice of his? He was about to spill his rage out, but Yoichi beat him to it.

"Hey! Don't talk to my dad like that! Now you're the one being a big old meanie!"

This time, Sasuke couldn't contain his chuckling. "Now he fights your battles too?"

"HEY!"

"HEY!"

Twin, insulted outbursts made the crowd giggle. Both father and son looked at each other and stuck out their tongues childishly to one another.

Sasuke kneeled down to Yoichi's eye level and ruffled his hair while he looked up at Naruto.

"I'm sorry. I meant no harm."

Naruto scoffed, but he nodded. The less he talked, the faster he could get away from him.

Sasuke looked back at Yoichi, who was smiling now that there seemed to be some reconciliation. Before he stood up he heard a slight rumbling sound and glanced and the small boy who was sporting a red tint to his pale cheeks.

Two small hands went to a slim belly and quietly told it to hush up. Sasuke took his index finger and poked the hand covered tummy.

"What are you doing to my kid, you pedo!" Naruto picked up his son and stepped away from the other man, ignoring Yoichi's protests.

"He's hungry."

The blond looked at the boy who only nodded shyly.

"Shit," he murmured under his breath. "Come on little man. Let's see what we can find." He turned to leave but stopped for a moment and looked back. "Thanks again."

Yoichi perked up and twisted himself in his father's arms. "Oh wait, Papa!"

He wiggled out of Naruto's arms, walked up to the other man and held his hand up. Sasuke glanced down and smiled. Yoichi was returning his phone.

"I almost forgot to give it back. Thanks Mr. Sasuke! Bye!" He jogged back to Naruto and grabbed his hand.

Sasuke didn't know what possessed him, but before he could stop himself he called out. "Hey, wait!"

Naruto halted his steps and looked back.

"Would you guys like…do you want to come eat with me?"

Naruto was about to say no, even though he could feel Yoichi bouncing at the suggestion beside him, but a woman stepped behind Sasuke, placed her hand on his shoulder and directed a smile in his direction.

"Please, we would like it if you said yes."

Sasuke jumped slightly at the contact and turned to see his mother.

"Mother, when did you come out?"

Mikoto laughed. "Oh, for a while now." She had witnessed the whole scene from start to finish and like her son, she had been highly charmed by the little pair.

"Uh.." Naruto didn't know what to say. He wanted to refuse. There was no way he wanted to continue being in the bastard's presence, but the woman looked so nice. He felt bad if he was to say no.

"Oh, I don't know. We wouldn't want to intrude." He gave Yoichi a little pull to calm himself down. He was being too jumpy for some reason.

The woman walked towards them. "Oh, nonsense. You wouldn't be intruding at all. Besides I think this little angel could go for some tasty treats."

Yoichi, who was not shy among strangers flashed her his biggest grin. He extended his hand and excitedly introduced himself. "Hi, I'm Yoichi!"

Naruto and Sasuke watched as the young boy broke away from his dad and stepped closer to Mikoto who shook his hand before carrying him up.

"Hi, sweetheart. I'm Mikoto, Sasuke's mom. Would you like to eat something delicious with me and Sasuke?"

Yoichi nodded shyly and gave his dad a tentative look.

"Well then, it's settled." Before Naruto could protest she grabbed his hand as well and dragged him back towards Sasuke.

"Come one, honey. I'm starving."

Both males gave each other apprehensive looks before following behind. Mikoto smiled as she animatedly engaged in a conversation with a five year old about all the food possibilities he could choose from.

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><p>AN: I hope you guys liked it. Please Review!


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